How To Influence Change With Your Teams During Transformation Or Turbulent Times
Updated: Jan 10, 2022
Written by: Nicole Posner, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Some people thrive on uncertainty!
The thrill seekers who jump in the car with no plan or fixed idea where they are going. While others find it very unsettling and yearn for minutiae details of their journey ahead.
Have you ever wondered why?
If you are familiar with Tony Robbins, you will know he adapted Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs into the 6 Basic Human Needs. Two of which are the ‘Need for Certainty and the Need for Uncertainty’.
We are all wired differently.
Our response therefore to anything new or unfamiliar will bring up a different reaction in us all depending on how we feel about the unknown.
So when you are leading your teams through times of change or transformation, it is unwise to assume that everyone will be onside when you need investment into new processes, frameworks or plans.
Some of your teams may just go with the flow, while it may bring up anxiety and discomfort for others.
You may be met with resistance, pushback, silence, challenge, emotions.
However, be wary of falling into the trap that these team members are difficult.
They aren’t. It’s just that they need to be nurtured and influenced differently. This does not mean you are indulging them, it means your approach needs to be carefully thought, from a place of understanding and empathy.
The current Return to Office debate, for example, is a moot topic at the moment and ‘demanding’ that your teams come back in, is not the best way to encourage their agreement.
So how do you overcome objections and resistance to change?
Be open and transparent. Explain why you feel it is necessary for the business and the need behind it.
Invest time to build relationships so you understand each team member and how they might respond to the new status quo. This will support you so that when faced with adversity, they are more willing to come on board.
Don’t assume that because you feel excited, energised or enthusiastic about these changes that they will too. Be prepared to listen to your teams and hear their concerns. Feeling acknowledged will build trust and support. At the very least give their opinions some airtime so they feel recognized and valued.
Sometimes it may well be that you don’t necessarily agree with the new way forward, particularly if this is not your own business. You may have been told to execute a plan that you might not be invested in yourself.
In this case it’s hard to portray it as a wonderful concept and influence your teams if you’re not completely sold on the idea either.
Forewarned is forearmed!
However before you present it, be curious and air your concerns with your boss so that you have clarity, can overcome your issues and deliver the ideas in the best light possible.
It will also furnish you with a strong response to any objections raised by your teams.
One final reflection…
If you are vehemently against the new ideas, it begs the following questions. Do your values still align with the culture and values of the business? Are you happy to be pushing ideas that you’re not invested in yourself? Should you remain in a company where your values feel out of place or will you become another statistic in the Great Resignation?
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Nicole Posner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Nicole is a Communication and Conflict Expert, supporting leaders, business owners, and high-performing teams to communicate more effectively and navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and compassion. She is a Consultant, Executive Conflict Coach, accredited Workplace Mediator, and Trainer and has an interest in the psychology of conflict combined with extensive experience in PR and Communications. Her clients include CEOs, Leaders, Business Owners, Senior Executives, and their teams across multiple sectors.
Nicole is the author of many published articles on communication and workplace conflict in the following publications: Thrive Global, SME, and HR Magazine and is regularly asked for comment in press such as Metro and other work-life publications. In 2020 she was featured in COACH Magazine and was also a shortlisted finalist in the UK National Mediation Awards.
She is a regular podcast guest and contributor to local radio shows discussing conflict and communication issues in the workplace.
